Shelving.



No. 718,152. PATENTEDJAN. 13, 1903. P. A. PHELPS,'JR.

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APPLICATION FILED. MAR. 1, 1902. H0 MODEL.

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No. 718,152. PATENTBD JAN. 13, 1903. F. A. PHELPS, JR.

SHELVING.

APPLICATION FILED HAIR. 1, 1902.

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SHELVING.

APPLICATION FILED MR. 1, 1902. I no MODEL. 4 SHEETSSHEET s.

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PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

F. A. PHELPS, JR.

SHELVING.

APPLIOATION FILED HA3. 1, 1902.

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FREDERICK A. PHELPS, JR, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SHELVING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 718,152, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed March 1 1902. Serial No. 96,323. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. PHELPS, Jr., a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful Invention in Shelving, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to improvements in what is known in the art as knockdown-shelving; and it has for its objects, first, to provide shelving of this character which may be readily added to or sub-' tracted from in such manner as to comply with the requirements of the user; second, to provide such a system of shelving and supports therefor as will possess great strength and will be particularly adapted for use in factories or places where shelving of this character has an especial utility; third, to

pairs in such manner as to adapt the system to be used where an increased demand for further shelf-space simply necessitates the adding thereto of further sectional parts.

My invention will be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in all of which like numerals represent like or equivalent parts wherever used, the essential points of novelty being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Figure 1 is an end elevational View illustrating my improved means of supporting shelving as sustained by the floor of a building and secured at the ceiling thereof directly to cross-beams at that point, said cross-beams being shown in sectional view, a portion of sectional view and the pins in connection therewith in elevational View, the rod or standard upon which the sectional shelf-support is threaded not being shown in this View. Fig. 2 is a plan view as seen looking at the upper end of Fig. 2, the rod or standard upon which the sectional shelf-support is threaded being shown in this view in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the floor and ceiling supports for the entire structure, the rods or standards being shown in elevational view and the man nerof putting them in position illustrated on the right of said figure. Fig. 4. is a sectional view through a pair of I-beams, showing another manner of attaching the sockets which secure the upper ends of the rods of the system to the ceiling, in one instance in side elevational view and in the other in sectional view. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the base or floor supports, and Fig. 6 is a side elevational view thereof as seen looking at Fig. 5 from the bottom toward the top of the drawings. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the manner of strengthening the entire structure by lateral tie rods or bars. Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof as seen looking at Fig. 6 from the top toward the bottom of the drawings, the sectional shelf-support and one of the rods or standards being shown in sectional view, a modified means of securing the shelf support thereto being also shown. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the pins which adjustably secure or hold the shelf-bracket. Fig. 10 is an end elevational view of a double or duplex system of shelving in which the sectional shelf-supports in the central part thereof are adapted to carry the adjacent ends of shelf-sustaining brackets or bars on opposite sides. Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of Fig. 10 as seen looking at the same from left to right, the manner of attaching or securing the system to the lower member of the ceiling-truss being also illustrated in these views of the drawings. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken through Fig. 10, illustrating the shelving in dotted lines and the mannerv of supporting the same in plan. Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12, illustrating, however, in section in this view T-rails for rods or standards in place of the tubular rods or standards, as illustrated in Fig. 12, the shelving not be ing shown in this View.

.be described later on.

ports in the nature of sockets, preferably cast My invention comprehends the construction of a knockdown system of shelving in which the shelves are supported upon end brackets or bars the opposite ends of which are adjustably supported by pins upon sectional shelf supports having tubular eyes adapting them to be threaded upon verticallyarranged rods or standards in pairs resting upon or supporting each other and in such manner that the same may be added to or subtracted from at the pleasure of the user, the entire structure being preferably of metal and of such a nature as to make it especially practical for use in factories or places where the nature of 'the goods to be supported or sustained by the shelving often makes it desirable to vary the relations between the shelves and with the least possible amount of annoyance or disturbance.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and first to Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, 2 represents the base or floor supports, provided with screwholes 5 for securing them directly to the floor, and openings 3, adapted to receive the lower ends of rods or standards 1, 10 being lugs integral therewith, the function of which will 12 12 are ceiling-supintegral with cross bars or rods 11 and adapted to be secured by bolts, preferably concealed, as shown, to the ceiling or floor beams 13. In Fig. 4 I have shown how these same parts may be secured directly to the ceiling or floor-beams 13, when the latter are of the I- beam type, by using detachable clamps and bolts. 6 6 are sectional shelving-supports having parallel sides and duplicate sets of teeth 7 7, said supports being provided with holes or eyes 8 at their opposite ends of substantially the same interior diameter as the exterior diameter of the rods or standards 1 and adapted to be threaded thereon and resting upon or supporting each other in the manner shown in Fig. 1. 4 4: are notches or depressions cast in the lower ends of the sectional shelf-supports and adapted to calender with the lugs or extensions 10 on the bases 2 and on the upper ends of the sectional shelfsupports, the arrangement being such that when the pairs of shelf-supports are threaded upon the rods or standards 1 the pairs of teeth 7 will face each other and all of the sectional supports will be interlocked, as will be ovious on inspection of Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6. In putting the shelving in place the sectional shelf-supports 6 6 are first threaded upon the rods or standards 1 1, and the rods are then inserted with their upper ends in the sockets 12, after which they are lowered into the position shown on the left of Fig. 2 in full lines and on the right thereof in dotted lines, so that all of the parts assume the interlocked relation illustrated in Fig. 1, and the shelf-supports rest upon or support each other. 14 14 are tie rods or bars for securing the structure together laterally, said rods or bars being provided with hooked ends 15 and lateral or side lugs having, respectively, top, side, and rear faces 16 16 16 (see Figs. 7 and 8,) the arrangement being such that when the locking-bars are slipped into position they will lock all of the parts together in such manner that there will be no tendency to spread in either direction. 17 17 are the shelf- .brackets, the same being adapted at their opposite ends to straddle the sectional shelfsupports 6 and provided with holes or openings 18 18, (illustrated in the drawings,) three in number at each end, and bearing, preferably, a fixed relation to the depth of the teeth 7that is to say, if the depth of the teeth 7 is three inches preferably the relative distance between these holes or openings should be one inch. 19 19 are pins provided, preferably, with locking-notches 20. 9 is a Vertical standard cast integral with the sectional shelf-supports 6 and acting to prevent any interference between thepins 19 19 from opposite sides, as will be apparent on inspection of Fig. 2. It will be obvious that with such an arrangement when the shelf-supporting bracket 17 is put in position, by tilting it upin the manner shown in Fig. 1 and by inserting the pins 19 in the holes 18 a variable adjustment with relation to the shelves may be effected with the greatest nicety. In other words, with such an arrangement the shelves may be adjusted to vary the spaces between each other from one inch more or less in either direction. When the brackets 17 are put in position, the pins 19 areslipped into the openings or holes 18 and turned so that each locking-notch 2O assumes the position shown in Fig. 2. By preference those pins 19 next the upper surface of the shelf-bracket 17 are not provided with heads.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a duplex or double system of shelving, in which the sectional shelf-supports of the middle tier or row are provided with teeth 7 on opposite sides, so that one set of sectional supports sustained by the central rod or standard 1 is adapted to support the adjacent ends of two sets of shelf-brackets 17, the details of construction being otherwise identically the same as in Fig. 1. In this figure of the drawings the rod or bar 11, which is cast integral with the socket 12, is secured to horizontally-arranged boards 21 21, bolted to the ceiling-beams 13.

In Fig. 11 of the drawings I have shown the shelves 22 in side elevational View and the manner of supporting the same directly upon the shelf-brackets 17, 23 23 being cleats for preventing end movement.

In Fig. 12 the entire structural arrangement of the duplex or double system is shown in plan view, the rods or standards being shown here as of tubular structure and the shelving in dotted lines.

In Fig. 13 I have illustrated how the rods or standards may be in the nature of T-rails, the sectional shelf-supports being modified in this instance to adapt them to the T-rail structure, it being obvious on inspection of the eyes 8 are made of two separable parts bolted together, such an arrangement making it possible to restore any one of the shelfsupports in the event of the breakage thereof without necessitating the taking down and separation of all of the parts from their supporting rod or standard 1. Obviously other means of thus effecting the substitution of a single shelf-support might be utilized, such as would readily suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic.

I do not limit my invention to the especial details of construction hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as many of the features may be materially departed from and still come within the scope of my claims hereinafter made, the generic feature of my invention being directed to a flexible system of knockdown shelving in which the shelf-supports are in the nature of sectional bars adapted to be threaded upon rods or standards and in such manner that they rest upon or support each other and may be added to or subtracted from in pairs to suit the demands of the user.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States, is

1. In a system of shelving a series of supporting rods or standards and a series of detachable sectional shelf-supports threaded thereon and resting upon or supporting each other, substantially as described.

2. In a system of shelving a series of supporting rods or standards, a series of sectional shelf-supports threaded thereon and resting upon or supporting each other, and a series of shelf-brackets provided with means for adjustably securing them to the shelf-supports, substantially as described.

3. A system of shelving embracing supporting rods or standards and sectional shelf-supports having eyes which surround the rods, said shelf-supports, when in position, resting upon or sustaining each other; in combination with shelves carried by the supports; substantially as described.

4. Asystemofshelving embracingsupporting rods or standards, a series of shelf-supports having eyes which surround the rods, said shelf-supports, when in position, resting upon or sustaining each other; in combination with shelf-brackets, adjustably secured to the supports, and shelves carried by the brackets, substantially as described.

5. Meansforsupportingasystem otshelves, consisting of supporting rods or standards and a series of sectional detachable shelf-supports provided with interlocking notches and lugs for preventing them from turning about the rods or standards, substantially as described.

6. In a system of shelving a series of sup porting rods or standards; in combination with base or floor supports secured to the floor, and sockets at their upper ends secured to a rigid support, together with a series of sectional shelf-supports threaded upon the rods and resting upon or sustaining each other, substantially-as described.

7. Means for supporting shelving, consisting of a series of rods or standards, a series of base or floor supports secured to the floor and having openings or holes for securing the lower ends of'the rods or standards; in combination with a series of hollow sockets se' cured at points near the ceiling for receiving the other ends of the rods or standards, together with detachable shelf-supports threaded upon the rods or standards, said supports resting upon or sustaining each other, substantially as described.

8. In a system of shelvingaseries of rods or standards detachably secured between the ceiling and the fioor of a building; in combination with aseries of shelf-supports threaded upon said rods and resting upon or supporting each other, substantially as described.

9. In a system of shelving a series of rods or standards detachably secured between the ceiling and floor of a building; aseries ofshelfsupports having eyes which surround the rods and are detachably secured thereto, and a series of shelf-brackets adj ustably secured to the shelf-supports the shelf-supports resting upon or sustaining each other together with tie-rods for securing all the parts against spreading, substantially as described.

10. In a system of shelving a series of supporting rods or standards detachably secured between the ceiling and the floor of a building, and a series of sectional shelf-supports threaded upon said rods and provided with inter-- locking notches and lugs for preventing them from turning around upon the supporting rods or standards, substantially as described.

11. A system of shelving embracing a series of ceiling and floor supports and sockets; a series of supporting rods or standards detachably held by said supports and sockets; a series of shelf-supports threaded upon the rods and provided with interlocking means for preventing them from turning upon the rods; in combination with shelf-brackets adj ustably secured to the shelf-supports, substantially as described.

12. A system of shelving embracing a series of shelf-supports having ledges or teeth of definite spaces or depths; in combination with a series of shelf-brackets provided at their opposite ends with a series of holes so spaced as to bear a definite proportional relation to the depths of the ledges or teeth whereby variable ranges of shelf adjustment may be effected, substantially as described.

13. In a system of shelving a series of shelfsupports having ledges or teeth of definite spaces or depths; a series of shelf-brackets having in their opposite endsa series of holes; together with pins adapted to fit in said holes,

said pins being provided with locking-notches, substantially as described.

14. A system of shelving embracing a series of rods or standards and a series of shelf-supports threaded thereon and supporting or sustaining each other; in combination with shelfbrackets and tie-rods for securing the structure from lateral spread, substantially as described.

15. In a system of shelving a series of rods or standards detachably secured to the floor of a building; in combination with a series of sectional shelf-supports threaded thereon; together with shelf-brackets detachably secured to the shelf-supports, and tie-rods for preventing lateral spread of the structure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK A. PHELPS, JR.

Witnesses:

W. H. YOUNGER, O. J. KINTNER. 

